Device for supplying water-moisture to intakes of internal-combustion engines



G. H. BLAKE. DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING WATER MOISTURE T0 INTAKES 0F INTERNAL CQIVIBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED DEC. I. I9I9.A

.L35g6491 Patendsept. 14,1920.

./lllll WITNESS IN VEN TOR A TTORNE YS GEORGE H. BLAKE, 0F ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE Foa sUPPLYING WATER-MOISTURE 'ro INTAKES or INTERNAL-GOMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

Application led December 1, 1919. Serial No. 341,719.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. BLAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alameda, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Supplying Water-Moisture to Intakes of InternaleCombustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines, and especially to devices serving as humidifiers for supplying moisture in ""g. some form, whether as water vapor-,Waterspray or steam, to the intake to the engine cylinders, the object being to improve combustion, lessen the deposit of carbon, and to obtain other desirable effects, all tending to efiiciency and economy.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective device of this nature, involving an improved permeable septum or porous diaphragm, an extensive course p for the fiuidic vehicle which sweeps the surface of said diaphragm and carries away to the 'engine intake the water moisture yielded by said surface, and a novel connection with the valve-tappet chamber from which the fluidic vehicle is derived.

With this objecty in view, my invention consists in the novel device for the purpose stated, which I shall now fully describe by reference to the accompanying drawings inwhich- Figure 1 is an elevation of my device, showing it 'in situ.-

Fig. 2 is a central horizontal section of the device. f

Fig?) is a bottom plan view of the cap member, of the device.

1 indicates ,the cylinder-block of a gas engine, 2 the valve-tappet-chamber covers, 3 the engine-cylinder-intake, and 4 the'inleading radiator connection to the water jacket of the engine.

i6 the annular spaced ribs 10 and 10',

Y shown in Fig. 3, are concentric with each other and with the shoulder 8, said ribs and shoulder forming a bearing for the diaphragmvto hold it level and straight as in Fig. 2, so that under the pressure to which it is subjected it will not buckle or yield with any tendency to clog or obstruct the outlet from the chamber 9.

In the cap 6 is madev an inlet-hole 11 which communicates with the annular space between the shoulder 8 and the outer rib 10.

In said rib is made an opening 12 diametri- Y cally opposite' the inlet hole 11, Fig. 3, said opening connecting the space between the shoulder 8 and the outer rib 10, with the space between said outer rib and the inner rib 10. In the latter rib at a point opposite the opening 12 is an opening 13 which connects the space between the two ribs, with the outlet 14 from the cap.

In order to provide a shallow chamber under the diaphragm 7, I form the inner surface of the-base 5 with a slight general depression indicated at 5', and with this depression the water inlet 15 in the base communicates.

The septum or diaphragm l7 may be of any substance or material of a porous nature, such as stone permeable to water, terracotta, porous 1ron, etc., but the material I prefer is leather, which,` in practice I vfind gine, and tocongregate on the upper surface of the diaphragm in proper volume to be carried into the cylinders.

The humidifier is connected up as shown in Fig. 1. It is let into the water circulation or system of the engine by a connection 16, through which the water in the water jacket passes, and through the water inlet 15, in the base 5, into the shallow chamber 5 in which it distributes itself equally and extensively over the lower surface of the septum or diaphragm 7.

From the chamber or space 9 above the diaphragm a connection 17 is made between the outlet 14 and a passage or pipe 18 which leads to and is connected at 19 with.the engine intake 3 into which it opens.

With the inlet hole 11-in the' cap, a connection 20 is made with a passage or pipe 2,1, which at 22 is connected with and opens les into the valve-tappet-chamber in the cylinder block 1.

The operation of the device is as follows: Under the aspirations of the engine, acting through the intake 3, pipe 18 and outlet 14, i

suction is produced in the chamber 9 of the cap 6. Thishas the double effect of causing water moisture particles to pass through the diaphragm 7, and of inducing a iow of air through the pipe or passage 2l. As this air comes from the valve-tappet chamber it is enriched with the vapor or gases which may leak past the engine pistons or may form in the crank case, and is to some extent carbureted. To this extent, such gases are utilized and waste prevented, besides producing desirable results by using this enriched air as the vehicle to carry the moisture particles from the upper surface of the diaphragm 7 into the cylinder intake, thereby not only gaining such advantage as may follow the introduction of water vapor to the cylinders, but also the enrichment of the explosive mixture. 1

This/enriched air upon entering the humidiier at the inlet hole 11 is caused by the intercommunicating concentric inter-rib space between the shoulder 8 and ribs 10 to take a long course before reaching the outlet 14 thereby coming in extensive contact with the wetted surface of the diaphragm 7 and picking up the moisture to the maximum extent.

I claim:

1. A device for supplying moisture to the intake of internal combustion engines comprising a shell consisting of interitting base and cap members, the base member having an inlet, and the cap member having concentric spaced ribs on its inner surface, 'the spaces between the ribs intercommunicatlng and having also an inlet one end of said inter-rib space and an outlet from the other end thereof; a porous diaphragm conned between the base and cap member and resting on the spaced ribs in the latter member; a connection between the water-system of the engine and the inlet of the base member; a connection between the cylinder intake of the engine and the outlet of the cap member; and a connection between the valve-tappet chamber of the engine and the inlet of the cap member.

2. A device for supplying moisture to the intake of internal-combustion engines comprising a shell consisting of a base member and a flanged cap member, the base member being screwed into the flange of the cap member, said base member having a depression in its upper surface forming a shallow chamber, and an inlet opening into said chamber, and said cap member having on its under surface concentric spaced ribs, the spaces between the ribs intercommunicating, and said cap member having also an inlet to one end of said inter-rib space and an outlet from the other end thereof; a porous diaphragm confined between the base and cap member and resting on the spaced ribs in the latter member; a connection between the water-system of the engine and the inlet of theV base member; a connection between the cylinder intake of the engine and the outlet of lthe cap member; and a connection between the valve-tappet chamber of the engine and the inlet of the cap member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE H. BLAKE.

Witnesses WVM. F. BOOTH, D. B. RICHARDS. 

